Fix your ticket now.

Impactful Distracted Driving Commercials

The National Safety Council has declared April as National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. In preparation, they have released this powerful thirty-second commercial. Take a look (viewer discretion advised):

Videos like this are often described as “shocking,” “brutal,” and “extreme,” and for good reason. It uses a method called “Shock Value” and it’s a popular, and often effective, marketing technique used to shock viewers into thinking of the harsh realities that people often overlook.

Take this video for instance. Everywhere you go, you’ll see drivers on the road texting or talking on the phone while driving. Honestly, you might even be guilty of doing this yourself time to time. This is so prominent because most of us feel like we are experienced at both texting and driving. We feel like we can safely multitask on the road now and then.

The truth is that we can’t!

As the video shows, the girl takes her eyes off the road for less than three seconds. In that short amount of time, she misses the stop sign and drives recklessly into the intersection and is hit by a semi-truck. The impact comes unexpectedly, contrasted with the images of happy and carefree adolescents only moments before. The collision shocks us, reminding us that we are all susceptible to such unexpected events if we aren’t constantly alert and driving defensively.

It also reminds us of the dangers of distracted driving. Whether it’s texting, talking on the phone, turning to speak to someone in the backseat, or even getting too involved with singing alongside the radio, anything that distracts us from our primary responsibility of driving can become fatal!

Shock ads like the one posted by the National Safety Council can be disturbing, but they can also be informational and eye-opening. Distracted driving is a prominent and dangerous issue in our country today, one that people need to be aware of so we can fix it. Hopefully videos like this will build awareness in our drivers before they are awakened by the harsh reality in their own lives. It’s better to be shocked by a startling commercial than having this happen to a family member, a friend, or even to you!